COUNCILLORS in Wirral have failed again to decide who runs the borough after a marathon five hour meeting last night ended in stalemate.

The authority has until midnight tomorrow to elect a ruling executive committee, or it could face harsh penalties from central government.

After the elections, the hung council was left in further dis-array with Labour on 26, Conservatives 23, Lib Dems 16 and one independent.

Since then no major decisions on key issues have been taken.

All three party leaders put forward their ideas to get the council up and running, only for them to be rejected by the other parties as unworkable.

The meeting broke up shortly after 11pm, the only agreement being that they will meet again tonight.

Council leader, Labour's Steve Foulkes, said: "I have been involved in negotiations with the other party leaders and said that given the results on May 1, we would be prepared to go into opposition and allow them the opportunity to run the authority. "But what they have put forward is a coalition which gives them power with-out responsibility."

Tory chief Jeff Green said: "It is a sad night for the people of Wirral when the other two parties seem unwilling or unable to join us and put political differences aside to get on with what we are elected to do."

Stuart Kelly, Liberal Democrat leader, said: "This is a bizarre situation ..We put forward a resolution which would have given Wirral stable governance and I ask Labour to reconsider their opposition to it."